By Steve Frey
President Trump presented his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. There were moving remarks regarding childhood cancer survivors, Holocaust victims and the soldiers who saved them, and police officers or soldiers displaying heroism, just to name of few.
There were also plenty of issues aimed directly at his political base, including charter school funding and building the wall along the border with Mexico. There were even some conciliatory offerings across the aisle related to infrastructure and finding a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Here are a few issues important to Southwest Virginia that might have been addressed in greater detail.
First, there is that issue of infrastructure. Sure, the president mentioned it in passing but didn’t talk about any specific plans. There are many roads, bridges and dams that need to be repaired or expanded, and I-81 is definitely on everyone’s mind locally.
Then there are schools. The president promoted increasing funding for charter schools and school choice. This scheme has not raised academic achievement or equity for students where implemented. Interesting fact: The cost of the president’s new wall is $5.7 billion, which is the approximate price for renovating all of the schools backlogged in Virginia (a real inadequacy) PLUS paying for the $2.2 billion needed for making improvements to I-81. Just think what the Commonwealth could do with that money.
But where will the money come from to fund new infrastructure in the first place? The president’s tax cuts have already added $1.5 trillion to the deficit through lost revenue. He has spoken about public-private designs which lean toward private. Private highways? Talk about tolls!
Infrastructure development is also needed to bring broadband internet up to speed (pun intended) in many parts of Southwest Virginia. A plan for better transportation systems, rural broadband, and renovated schools could be put together by the national and state governments to provide growth and business opportunities in Appalachia, but there was no mention of anything like that in the State of the Union address.
Another issue related to both schools and infrastructure is the need for improved Career and Technical Education facilities/curriculum/opportunities. CTE creates a skilled workforce which helps draw business and industry to an area, but this issue was not discussed. Nor were ways to better coordinate high school, community college and university programs.
What about expanding opportunities for free community college to obtain certifications? What could be done to prevent students from leaving the university with crushing loan debt? These are issues facing all states.
What about gun deaths? Here is a post from former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot giving a speech several years ago: “Since President Trump took office, more than 75,000 people in our country have been killed with a gun. During his administration, there have been nearly 700 mass shootings, including three of the 10 deadliest massacres in recent American history. At least 3,300 children under the age of 18 have been shot and killed. Over 1,000 women have been shot by intimate partners.
“Just weeks into the new Congress, a background checks bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. But so far, we’ve heard nothing from the president.”
The president did not address the background checks bill at all in the SOTU even though over 94 percent of American citizens agree with it.
Another area that was not discussed was climate change. Many people affiliated with the president’s own administration such as in NOAA and NASA have stated that climate change is a real problem. Look no farther than disappearing Tangier Island or Norfolk military bases near the coast for evidence.
The president did proudly state that the U.S. now creates more energy than any other country. This output is due to fracking, which sends pressurized chemicals into the ground to forcibly extract oil or natural gas that is hard to reach. Ask fracking states about poisoned drinking water or earthquakes. Ask people in Newport how they feel about pipelines going through their backyards. Remember also that fracking is a last-ditch, limited resource.
What about the regulations eliminated by the administration on coal byproducts going into streams? What about supporting one of the fastest growing industries in the world that preserves the environment—renewable energy from solar, hydro, wind and thermal?
People here love our pristine mountains, rivers and streams. The president abstained from addressing any of these related issues.
How about health care? There were no specific plans discussed, although lowering prescription drug prices was mentioned. Health care and helping to prevent our friends, relatives and neighbors from dying for lack of affordable medication or care is a significant problem.
Nothing was mentioned about supporting Medicare or social security, either. Again, people care about and want to preserve these programs that they’ve paid into over so many years.
Many citizens in this area voted for the president and still strongly support him. It would be easy for them to feel betrayed by the lack of attention to issues that are important to the people here. Those who don’t support the president’s views will say they are disappointed but not surprised.
In any case, the president missed an excellent opportunity to address many of the needs of folks in Southwest Virginia and Appalachia. Is it any wonder the area sometimes feels forgotten?
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
